Corn-harvester



Patented Nov. 29, |898. R. E. SMITH.

CUBN HARVESTER.

(Application led Aug. 30, 1897.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

7a3 @Auw e s,

MHZ?- No. 6|4,904. Patented Nov. 29,1898. R. E. SMITH.

CORN HARVESTER.

(Application ledAug. 30, 1897.)

2 Shets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

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TH: mams PETERS co, Hcauwav.wAsHlNaYom D. c.

' Ridgely, in the county of Caroline and State of Maryland, have invented a new and useful NiTnDv STATES PATENT FFICE.

ROBERT E. SMITH, OF RIDGELY, MARYLAND.

CORN-HARVESTER.

srEc'IFIcATIoN forming part of Letters Patent No. 614,904, dated 'Nvgmter '29, 189s.

Application led August 30, 1897.

To all whom, tm/ay concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT E. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Corn-Harvester, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates tov improvements in corn-harvesters of that class in which a platform is provided with a cutter apparatus at its front end; and the primary object of the invention is to provide a simple and practical device for performing all the operations of cutting the corn, holding and carrying it in a straightened-out condition to the shockrows, and there, by automatic mechanism under the control ofthe operator, to quickly discharge the corn in such a manner as to facilitate its being readily set up, all of which operations maybe performed without stop-y ping the machine.

A further object of my invention is to provide a cage to be carried at the front end by the horse and at the rear by the machine, which cage shall be so constructed and arranged as to facilitate the horses movements through leaning or lodged corn, obviating its being trampled under foot and out of reach of the gathering and cutting device, as well' as to raise such leaning or lodged corn int-o position for control of the operator and the machine.

With these endsin view the rst part of my invention consists in a discharging mechanism, preferably arranged at the rear of the platform of the machine and in one of many forms which it may be given, comprising a tilting drop-gate, to which is applied a tilting table. This part of my invention also comprehends, broadly, the combination, with a platform, of an automatic tilting drop-gate, an inclined iinger-table hinged to the tilting drop-gate, to be carried thereby and forming therewith a trip-table, a foot treadle or lever situated on the platformwithin convenient reach of the attendant, means for operatively connecting the trip-table with the treadle or lever, and a spring to normally hold the triptable in an upright position.

The invention further consists in a ynovel construction of the cage to be carried by the Serial No. 650,025. (No modeli) draft-animal and by the machine for the purpose offlifting to an upright position any leaning or lodged stalks; and it also consists ina mechanism for adjusting the cage ina vertical direction toward or from the ground; and the invention further consists in the novel combination of elements and in the construction and arrangement of parts,which will be hereinafter fully described and 6o claimed.

To enable others to understand my invention, I have illustrated the same in the-accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specication, and in which- Figure l is a plan view of the corn-harvester constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 .is a longitudinal sectional elevation on the plane indicated by the dotted line 2 2 of Fig. 1, the dotted lines repre- 7o senting the positions of the tiltable dropgate, the nger-table, and their associated parts when they are moved to discharge the cornstalks. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of one form of the spring which tends to normally hold the trip-table in its upright position. Figs. land 5 are detail views of a modified form of the holding-spring for the triptable. Figs. 6 and 7 are views in plan and side elevation, respectively, of the cage to be 8o carried partly by the horse for raising any leaning or lodged stalks in the path of thel draft-animal. Figs. 8 and 9 are detail sectional'views on the planes indicated by the dotted lines 8 8 and 9 9 of Figs. 7 and 6, re- 85 spectively.

Like reference characters denote corresponding parts in all the iigures of the drawings.

In the practical embodiment of my im 9o provedcorn-harvester shown in the accompanying drawings I provide a platform l, which is similar in some respects to the platform used in other styles of machines of this class. As shown in Figs. l and 2 of the draw- 95 ings, this platform consists of two side rails 2,

a middle-rail 3, and a bottom 4; but the detailed construction of the platform is not material. At its front end the platform is provided with a cutter apparatus 5, one form of 10o which is shown as consisting of a pair of stationary oppositelyinclined knives; but this style of cutter apparatus' may be changed without departing from the spirit of my invention.

(5 designates the thills to which the draftanimal is to be hitched, and 7 is the arch by which connection is made between the thills and the front end of the platform. The front end of the machine is sustained by a casterwheel S, suitably supported in the connecting-arch, and at its rear end the platform is equipped with the carrying-wheels 9 9, which are suitably attached to the outside of the platform and which are so placed as to sustain the platform the desired distance above the ground.

10 designates the tilting drop-gate, which consists of a solid im perforate board or length of wood, or, if desired, the gate may be of metal; but this is immaterial. Said dropj gate is preferably of a length equal to the width of the platform proper, 1, and at its ends the gate has fastened to it the shoe-rails 11, said ends of the gate being arranged to abut against the ends of the side rails when the gate is raised by the force of the spring, presently described, whereby the shoe-rails and the side platform-rails serve to limit the upward and forward movement of the dropgate under the tension of the spring. The shoe-rails are of a length greater than the height of the drop-gate formed by the dropgate and the iinger-tablein order to have the free ends of said shoe-rails project from the free edge of the gate, and these projecting ends of theshoe-rails 11 are shed with the metallic shoes 12 to protect the rails and gate from wear when the mechanism is dropped, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 2, for discharging the corn from the machine. As shown in the drawings, the shoe 12 consists of a metal plate or strap bent to embrace the front and rear faces of the shoe-rail and to provide the enlarged rounded surface to ride upon the ground, the ends of the strap being bolted or otherwise rigidly secured to the rail 11. This gate is hinged at one edge to the upper face of the rear edge of the bottom of the platform 1, as at 13, (see Fig. 2,) and said gate has its hinge or pivotal joints so disposed as to enable the gate to have its inner hinged edge fiush with the top side of the platformbottom when the gate is lowered, thus obviating any shoulder between the gate and the platform for the lodgment of the corn in the act of discharging the same from the machine.

The finger-table 11 is carried by the free edge of the drop-gate to project beyond the latter and to move with the same in the act of discharging the corn from the machine. This finger-table consists of a longitudinal bar or rail and a `series of lingers vsuitably attached to said rail at regular intervals thereon. The rail of the finger-table is hinged or pivotally attached at 15 to the free edges of the drop-gate, and the linger-table is adapted to have a limited tilting or swinging movement on the drop-gate, while at the same time the finger-table is movable lwith the drop-gate, Vhen the drop-gate is in its normal or raised position, the finger-table inclines rearwardly therefrom and the stalks or shocks are laid in an inclined position thereon, and by this con struction and arrangement of the gate and finger-table the stalks or shocks are adapted to lean rearwardly somewhat in order to facilitate their discharge from the machina The drop-gate of the trip-table is held under spring tension, in the manner presently described, to assume normally a vertical posiL tion at right angles to the bottom of the platform and to abut against the ends of the side rails 2; but the iinger-table is prevented from dropping down too far in rear of the gate by means of the brackets 16, which are attached to the rear side of the gate near the free edge thereof, said brackets having inclined shoulders 16a, upon which the rail of the iingentable is adapted to bear and rest in order to sustain the finger-table at the desired inclination to the drop-gate.

To the middle of the drop-gate, forming part of the trip-table, on the front side or face thereof, is attached an angular plate 17,whieh has an oifstanding fiange 17, in which is provided a series of apertures 18. To this an gular plate is connected the hook-shaped end of an operating and pull rod or bar l0, said pullrod serving as the means for operatively connecting the holdin g-spring and the treadle and lever with the triptable and the rear end of said rod being adjustably and pivotally attached to the angular plate by having its bent end fitted loosely in one or the other of the openings 18 in said plate. The operating and pull rod 19 extends lengthwise of the platform above the middle rail 3 thereof, and the free end of this rod 19 is connected to the holding-spring 20. In the drawings I have illustrated different embodiments of this holding-spring, and it is shown as in place upon the top side of the middle rail 3 of the platform and as being arranged in a mortise or slot of said middle rail 3, so as to rest upon the bottom of the platform. Either of these constructions may be adopted, as may be preferred.

In Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, the spring is shown as applied to the top edge of the middle rail, and it consists of a piece or length of strong steel wire bent to provide two coils 20n and 20h. The coils 20L are arranged in the reverse direction to the coils 201 in order to impart sufficient tension to the spring to cause it to lift the drop-gate and the finger-table after the load has been discharged from the machine opposite to the shock-rows. This coiled spring is formed with a shank 20, to which the forward end of the rod 19 is attached. When the holding-spring is to be used on the top of the middle rail 3 of the platform, I prefer to use a spring in which the shank .20 extends from the middle of the spring between the reverse coils thereof, and I also employ a casing or housing .21, in which the spring is secured and by which it is protected, in a measure, from accumulations of dust, dirt, dac. The casing or housing 2l for the spring may be of any suitable construction, but in the drawingsI have shown the casing as consisting of a base-plate with raised iianges. The spring is arranged within the casing between the flanges thereof, and centrally through the coils of the spring passes a stay shaft or bar 22, which is attached to the casing orhousing and which serves to assist in holding the spring in position therein, the ends of the coils being suitably fastened to the casing o1' housing.

In the embodiment of my invention represented by Figs. 4 and 5 the middle rail 3 of the platform is mortised or cut away next to the bottom 4 of the platform, as at 3f, to accommodate the spring, and the spring itself has its shank formed or shaped to provide a bail-like shank, which is arranged to embrace the rail 3 and to extend above the same a suitable distance for the attachment to the front end of the rod 19 to said shank of the spring. In this construction of the holdingspring I employ the reversely-bent coils and the through-bolt or rod, and in connection with these elements are combined the angular plates 23, which are fastened on the platform bottom.

The rod 19, between the holding-sprin g and trip-table, is'constructed, preferably, in sections, which are coupled together by an intermediate swivel or turnbuckle 24 for the purpose of lengthening or shortening the rod between the spring and the trip-table, and thereby varying the tension of the spring, one end 'of the turnbuckle being swiveled on one part of the rod and the other end of said buckle provided with a threaded opening to receive a threaded end of the other part of the rod, as shown by Fig. 2.

To the rod 19, at a point intermediate of its connections to the holding-spring and the trip-table, is pivoted one end of the link 25, the other end of which `is attached to one crank-arm 2ta of the rock-shaft 26. This rock-shaft is journaled in suitable bearings or clips attached to the bottom of the platform l between the middle and one of the side rails thereof, and this rock-shaft is thus arranged to extend across one part of the platform, its outer end projecting through a suitable opening provided in the outside rail of the platform. The outer end of the rockshaft 26 is provided with another crank-arm 26h, to which is loosely or pivotally connected one end of the link 27, and this link extends to the lever and treadle 28, by which the triptable is adapted to be lowered to discharge4 the load from the platform. The lever and treadle 2S consist of the upright bar 28" and the horizontal plate 28', which may be made in one metallic piece or in separate pieces and suitably united. The upright bar serves the purpose of a hand-lever, while the horizontal plate is adapted to be operated by the foot of the attendant, and thus serve as a treadle. The treadle and lever are fulcrumed, as at 29, on the outside of one of the side rails 2 of the platform, and the link 27 is attached to the lever at a point intermediate of its length, whereby an operating device is provided Within convenient access to the attendant for service under all conditions which may arise in the practical use of the machine in the field.

I provide the platform with the deliveryrolls 30, which are arranged at the rear end thereof close down to the bottom of the same and just in advance of the trip-table; Two of these delivery-rolls are employed, one between the middle rail and each side of the platform, and these rolls are journaled in suitable bearings provided either on the rolls or on the bottom of the platform. These delivery-rolls act as rolling breaks for the load to. pass over while it is being discharged from -the machine, and they reduce friction to a minimum in the act of discharging the load.

I will now proceed to describe the cage shown by Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings, which cage is arranged to surround the horse at the front and sides and which is constructed in a novel manner, so as to raise leaning or lodged stalks, thus placing them within convenient reach of the attendant and enabling the cutter apparatus to work thereon to good advantage.

The cage is indicated in a general way in Figs.l 6 and 7 by the numeral 35, and it consists generally of a series of metallic rods or bars stayed at suitable intervals along its sides and at the front end and having said front ends of the rods orbars carried or extended inwardly to form a prow-shaped shoe, by which the stalks may be deflected toward the sides of the cage.

The sides of the cage are formed by a series of rods or bars (indicated at 36, 37, 38, 39, and 40) and a series of upright stays 4l, 42, 43, 44, 45, and 46, all of which are riveted together or united solidly in any other suitable way to provide a simple, strong, and light structure and so that the outer surface of the cage is smooth to prevent catching of the stalks. As indicated in Fig. 7, the several bars 36 37 and 39 40 converge from front to rear, and all of the bars are suitably spaced apart for the operation of the cage. The front ends of the bars or rods forming each side of the cage are carried and extended inwardly toward the medi-an line of the cage in order to join with the central stay 44, and these inwardly curved or inclined front ends of the whole series of bars or rods form the shoe, which is indicated more lclearly by Fig. 6 of the drawings. The middle stay 44 is inclined upwardly and rearwardly from the bottom bars 40 toward the top bars 36 of the cage, and the bars gradually increase in length from the top bars toward the bottom bars, so that when carried or extended to- IOO IIO

ward the vertically-inclined stay 44 the shoe is given the shape of a prow, which enables it to act to good advantage not only in raising the leaning or lodged stalks, but to deiiect them toward the sides of the cage and out of the path of the draft-animal.

XVhile I have described the cage as constructed of the rods or bars, I would have it understood that I do not limit myself strictly to the employment of said' rods or bars, because tubes may be used in the construction of the cage.

The bottom bars 40at the sides of the cage are arranged in horizontally parallel relation to each other, as shown by Fig. 6; but the top bars 36 of the sidesof the cage are diverged horizontally from the shoe at the front end to the open rear end of the cage, (also shown by Fig. 6,) whereby the horizontallydiverging upper bars 36 at the sides of the cage are arranged to cross the vertical plane of the parallel lower bars 40 between the front and rear ends at each side of the cage. cage is narrower at the front end and at the top than at the bottom. By having the bars or tubes gradually increase in length from the top toward the bottom of the cage and by employing the vertically-inclined stay 44 in the median line of the cage the shoe at the front end of said cage is caused to slope downwardly from the top to the bottom of the cage and from the median part thereof toward the sides of the cage.

From this description it will be apparent that I have provided a cage of simple light construction having a peculiar form, which makes it well adapted for the purposes of raising any leaning stalks and for deflecting them toward the sides of the cage while still holding the stalks in the raised condition, thus enabling the attendants to grasp and gather the stalks and present them to the cutter apparatus. The cage has its sides constructed to converge in a vertical plane from the lower to the upper parts of the shoe, at or near the front end thereof, while the sides of the shoe, at the rear part thereof, diverge in a vertical direction from the lower to the upper part of said shoe. (See Fig. 6.) In ahorizontal plane the sides diverge laterally from the bottom bars or tubes upward, such construction serving the important purpose of sustaining the stalks in the raised position and deiiect-ing them outward to enable them to be gathered to good advantage.

The stays 45, at each side at the open rear end of the cage, are arranged to cross each other and are united and also connected to the series of bars in a manner to reinforce and add materially to the strength of the structure at the open rear end of the cage.

This cage is designed to be placed over the thills, outside of the same and around the sides, and the front of the horse hitched to the thills, and to support the cage in operative and proper position vI have provided means ally attaching the cage near its rear The i end to the thills and for suspending the cage from the thills at points in advance of its pivotal connection thereto, which suspension means for the cage is arranged to provide for vertical adjustment of the cage to enable the apparatus to be used with animals of different heights and to raise and lower the cage at the end of a row when turning around or moving from one iield to another.

The thills are provided, in addition to the usual cross-bar, to which the whilletree is attached,with a strong transverse board or support 47, which is bolted or otherwise rigidly attached to the thills and its tie-bar, and on this support 47 is rigidly fastened suitable clips or bearings 48, which are spaced at suitable intervals from each other. Through these bearings or clips is passed a tubular rock-shaft 49, which isthus journaled in the clips or bearings to turn therein, and the ends of this tubular or hollow shaft abut solidly against the short vertical stays 46, rigid with the bars or tubes which form the sides of the cage. These stays 46 are provided with openings at points in alinement with the passage of the tubular orhollow shaft 49,and through said openings and the shaft passes the tie-bolt 50, the headed end of which is adapted to bear against a stay 46 on one side of the cage, while the threaded end of said bolt receives a nut that bears against the stay 46 on the opposite side of the cage, whereby the tie-bolt serves to attach the cage to the rock-shaft to allow the bearings of the shaft to act as hinges. The rock-shaft and the tie-bolt serve as the means for attaching the cage near its open rear end pivotally to the thills of the machine', and this shaft also provides the support for thedevices by which the cage may be sustained and adj usted. The tubular shaft is provided with suitable stop-collars 5l, which are provided thereon at points to abut against the clips or bearings 4S in order to hold the shaft against endwise movement in the bearings to prevent the pivoted rear end of the cage from swaying laterally or horizontally. The rock-shaft 49 is also provided with the crank-arms 52 and with the hand-lever 53, which are rigidly attached to said shaft to rock or turn therewith, and this lever carries a locking-dog 54, which is fulcrumed at an intermediate point of its length on said lever, one end of the dog forming a handle by which it may be operated conveniently, while the other end of the dog has a nib 55, adapted to pass through an opening in the hand-lever 53, as shown by Fig. 8. This locking-dog of the hand-lever is adapted to enter any of the series of apertures in the segment or arc 56, which is ar ranged across the support 47 adjacent laterally to the lever 53, and which is attached rigidly to the support 47, to be held in position thereby in proper relation to the lever.

Cables 57 are fastened to the crank-arms 52 of the rock-shaft. These cables are carried forward from the shaft over the thills and passed around or ovel` guide-sheaves 5S,which IOO IIO

are suitably journaled on the sides of the thills. The vertical stays 42 at the sides of the cage are each provided with a verticallydisposed series of transverse apertures 59, to either of which the end of the cable 57 may be fastened by means of a pin or bolt 60. This attachment of the cables to the sides of the cage serves as the means for suspending the cage from the thills in advance of the pivotal connection of the cage to the thills, and it also provides for the attachment of the suspension-cables to the cage in an adjustable manner to vary the height of the cage above the ground. At the same time the lever, rock-shaft, and the cables provide means whereby the cage may be raised to an inclined position to enable it to clear obstructions in the path of the machine, and the 1ever is arranged in a position where it may be readily adjusted by the attendant accompanying the machine.

The operation may be described as follows: The cage having been properly adjusted, the horse is hitched to the machine and it is drawn bet-Ween the rows. The cage is moved with the machine between the two rows that are to be harvested simultaneously, and owing to the peculiar construction of the cage with the contracted top part its pointed and elongated shoe picks up leaning and lodged stalks of corn and raises the same intoupright positions, so that when the stalks reach the inclined stays of the cage the inclined upper rails or tubes of the cage facilitate the stalks sliding readily along said cage toward the machine. The upper inclined rails of the cage also deflect the stalks outward from the central line of the cage and toward the cutting device and the operator. The corn being sustained by the cage in proper relation to the machine, the corn is eut od by the cutters and the cut corn is gathered by theoperator and thrown back onto the tilting trip-table. When the shock row is reached, the catch or hook G3 is disengaged from the treadle by the operators foot, and the treadle of the lever is operated in order to turn the rock-shaft and force the rod 19 rearwardly against the tension of the holding-spring, thus forcing the trip-table backward. As the trip-table is forced rearward back of the hinge center or connection with the platform, the weight or gravity of the load is carried backward and utilized in the further backward and downward movement -of the trip-table, and as the machine passes onward the linger-table is "movedon its hinged connection into alinement with the drop-gate. Thus as the dropgate and finger-table move backward and downward the load breaks and drops over the' delivery-rolls and readily passes off and clears the machine. The reaction of the holdingspring returns the trip-table to the normal upright position, thus restoring the parts rto their normal positions ready for the next load.

I am aware that changes in the form and proportion of parts and in the details of construction of the devices herein shown and described as the preferred embodiment of my invention may be made by a skilled mechanic without departing from the spirit or sacrificin g the advantages of the invention. I therefore reserve the right to make such modifications and alterations as fairly fall within the scope of the invention, and, as is equally obvious, the principle of my invention, as hereinafter claimed, is susceptible of a variety of embodiments. For example, I may use instead of the finger-table a table without fingers,and may employ a great variety of means for raising and lowering the trip-table. The cage may or may not be employed as desired.

I-Iaving thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a corn-harvester, a discharging mechanism comprising a tiltable drop-gate, a tilting table applied thereto, and means to raise and lower such mechanism, substantially as described.

2. In a corn-harvester, a trip-table for sustaining the cut stalks as they are gathered, and comprising an upright drop-gate and a tilting table movably secured to and supported upon the upper edge of said drop-gate, and means under the control of the operator to raise and lower said trip -table, substantially as described.

3. In a corn harvester, the combination with a platform of a tiltable drop gate, a table pivoted to and carried by said dropgate, an actuating mechanism under the control of the operator for raising and lowering the gate and table, and a spring interposed in said actuating mechanism, substantially as described.

4. In a corn harvester, the combination with a platform, of a tiltable drop-gate, a table adapted to receive the upper ends of the cut stalks and pivotally attached to and carried by said drop-gate, to partake of a limited movement independently of the swinging movement of said drop-gate, and operating devices connected with the drop-gate to sustain the latter normally in an upright position with relation to the platform, while the stalks are being gathered and to tilt it to discharge the stalks, substantially as described.

5. In a corn harvester, the combination with a platform, of a tiltable drop-gate, a iinger-table pivoted to and carried by said dropgate, an operating lever or treadle, and connections between said lever and the dropgate, as and for the purposes described.

6. In a corn harvester, the combination with a platform, of a tiltable drop-gate, a iinger-table carried by the drop-gate to have a limited independent play thereon, a pull-rod, a holding-spring to which the pull-rodis connected, a treadle or lever, and connections between the pull-rod and the treadle or lever, as and for the purposes described.

7 In a corn harvester, the combination with a platform, of `a tiltable drop-gate, a iin- IOO IIO

ger-table carried thereby, a double spring having its members coiled in reverse directions and provided with a shank, a pull-rod connected to the drop-gate and the shank of the spring, a treadle or lever, and connections between the pull-rod and the treadle or lever, as and for the purposes described.

8. In a corn-harvester, the combination with a platform, of a tiltable drop-gate carrying a finger-table, a holdin g-spring, a pullrcd attached to the drop-gate and the spring, a rock-shaft having crank arms, a link attached to one crank-arm and to the pull-rod at a point intermediate of the length of the latter, a treadle-lever, and a link between the other crank-arm and the treadle-lever, as and for the purposes described.

9. In a corn-harvester, the combination with a platform, of a tiltable drop-gate, delivery-rolls journaled on the platform above and adjacent to the hinged connection between said drop-gate and the platform, a table carried by the free edge of said dropgate, and means for operating said drop-gate, substantially as and for the purposes described.

10. In a corn-harvester, the combination with a platform, of a tiltable drop-gate mounted thereon, a finger-table pivotally attached to and carried by said drop-gate, to partake of a limited movement independently of the swinging movement of said drop-gate, and operating devices connected with the dropgate to sustain the latter normally in an upright position with relation to the platform, substantially as and for the purposes described.

11. In a corn-harvester, the combination with a platform, of a tiltable drop-gate provided at its free end with shoes to ride upon the ground, a table carried by said drop-gate between the shoes thereon, and operating devices to sustain the drop-gate normally in angular relation to the platform, substantially as and for the purposes described.

12. In a corn-harvester, the combination with a platform, of a tiltable drop-gate mounted thereon, a table pivotally connected to said drop-gate to be carried therewith in its movements and capable of an independent movement or play on said gate, means to sustain the table in an inclined relation to the drop-gate when the latter is raised, and operating devices to normally sustain the dropgate in angular relation to the platform, substantially as and for the purposes described.

13. In a corn-harvester, the combination with the thills, of a cage, a tubular rock-shaft journaled on the thills, a tie-bolt attached to the sides of the cage and iitting in the tubular shaft, a lever attached to the shaft, suitable looking means for the lever, and suspension-cables attached to the rock-shaft and fastened to the cage in advance of the pivotal connection thereof with the thills, as and for the purposes described.

1t. In a corn-harvester, a cage for lifting the corn, comprising a rearwardly-inchned front Stay, two series of longitudinal bars united at their front ends to said front stay, and transverse stays united to the longitudinal bars, the upper and lower bars of each series respectively diverging and converging rearwardly, substantially as described.

l5. In a corn-harvester, a cage, comprising an upright rearwardly-inclined -front stay, and sides composed of a series of longitudinal bars united at their front ends to said front stays, and transverse stays connected to the longitudinal bars, the upper and lower bars of each side respectively diverging and converging rearwardly, the sides at the front end of the cage converging upwardly and at the rear end diverging upwardly, substantially as described.

IG. In a corn-harvester, a cage comprising an upright front stay, two series of longitudinal bars united at their front ends to said front stay, and transverse stays united to the longitudinal bars, each series of bars having their bottom and top longitudinal bars inclined in different horizontal planes and crossing in a vertical plane at a point substantially intermediate of the length of the cage, substantially as described.

17. In a corn-harvester, a cage comprising an inclined front stay,sides composed of longitudinal bars having their front ends convergent and united to the front stay to form therewith a sloping pick-,up shoe, each side having its top and bottom bars converging toward the rear of the cage and inclined indilferent horizontal planes to cross each other in a vertical plane at a point intermediate of the length of the shoe, and vertical and inclined stays applied to each side to hold the bars thereof in place, substantially as described.

1S. A cage for harvesters, comprising a front stay rearwardly inclined, sides composed of longitudinal bars having their front ends secured to the front stay and connected by side stays, and crossed rear stays diverging upwardly, substantially as and for the purpose described.

19. A cage for harvesters,comprising a rearwardly-inclined front stay, sides composed of longitudinal bars connected to the front stay and further connected by side stays, and rear stays applied to said longitudinal bars and retaining the lower bars of the sides convergent rearwardly and also retaining the upper bars of the sides divergent rearwardly, the two sides as such diverging upwardly at the rear, substantially as described.

20. In a corn-harvester, the combination with thills, of a cage provided with a pick-up shoe, a tubular rock-shaft journaled in bearings supported bythe thills, a clamping-bolt to unite the cage and rock-shaft rigidly to gether, a lever rigid with the rock-shaft, connections between the lever and the cage, and a locking device for said lever, substantially as described.

21. In a corn-harvester, the combination IOO IIO

With the thills, of a cage provided with a pick-l up shoe, an adjusting-level' supported by the thills, a locking device for said lever, the

guide-sheaves jonrnaled on the thills adjacentl uanisrn comprising a tiltable drop-gate, a tilting table applied thereto, delivery-rolls var- -ranged adjacent to the lower end of the dropgate, and means to release the drop-gate to permit it with the tilting table to fall rearwardly and to raise the said drop-gate and table, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my oWn I have hereto affixed my signature in zo the presence of two Witnesses. l

ROBT. E. SMITH.

Vitnesses:

J. W. GRABILL, B. F. RICE.

Corrections 'm Letters Patent No. 614,904.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 614,904, granted November 29, 1898, upon the application of Robert E. Smith, of Ridgely, Maryland, for an improvement in Corn-Harvesters, errors appear in the printed specification requiring correction, as follows: On page 2, lines 31-32, the Words formed by the drop-gate and the fingert table, should be stricken out, and line 62, page 6, the Word looking should read l, looking; and that the said Letters Patent should be read With these corrections therein i, that the same may conform to the record of the ease in the Patent Ofee.

Signed, oountersigned, and sealed this 13th day of December, A. D., 1898.

[SEAL] WEBSTER DAVIS, I Assistant Secretary of the Interior. Conntersigned C. H. DUELL,

Commissioner of Patents. 

